Differential effects of noradrenaline and glucagon on lipolysis and fatty-acid utilization in brown adipose tissue.

The relative effects of noradrenaline (300 pM-3 microM) and glucagon (30 pM-300 nM) upon lipolysis and fatty acid utilization rates in brown adipose tissue from warm- (WA) and cold-acclimated (CA) rats, were: lipolytic sensitivity and responsiveness to the agonists were reduced in CA tissue; in CA tissue, at 300 pM, glucagon promoted fatty acid utilization more than noradrenaline; glucagon at 300 pM increased fatty acid utilization in WA tissue. The data suggest that glucagon has a physiological role in brown adipose tissue, modulating events subsequent to NA- and glucagon-induced lipolysis, promoting fatty acid utilization.